Folding partition



June 9, 1925.

J. T. FAIRHURST FOLDING PARTITION Filed April 2e, 1924 2 sheetsshea 1 w www F? 7m f JMJ,

ATTORNEYS JINI@ 192.-

J. T. 'FAIRHURS'I FOLDING PARTITION FiIed April 26,

2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented dune 9,

alii all;

JQHN THOS. FAIERHURST, F ELIZABETH, NEX-V JERSEY, ASSGNR T0 WILSON CORPORATON, 0F NEW YORK, N. Y., L CORPORATION Ol IRGI'l'lra.

Application filed April 26, 1924.

To all Lv/0m t may concern.'

Be. it known that l, JOHN Tiros. Fain- HUns'r, a citizen of the United States, residing at Elizabeth, in the county ,of Union and State of New Jersey, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in4 Folding Partitions, of whichthe following is a clear, full, and exact description.

This invention relates to folding partitions, and particularly to means for guiding the sections thereof during their turning and their sliding movements. y

11n-object of the invention is to provide means, whereby the top of a sectionof a folding partition may be guided during its :sliding movement, which is relatively steady and frictionless, and which obviates the possibility of binding in cases where the tracks or guides along which the section slides are uneven or imperfectly alined.

Another object is to provide means whereby the section may be guided during its turning or folding movement, so that it will rotate smoothly upon its pivot and will not slide outwardly during its rotation.

Various important features of the invention, together with other objects thereof will appear from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a `fold-` ing partition with lthe sections thereof unfolded, and shows also in dotted lines the position of-.the sections when folded;

Fig. 2 is a top view of certain of the sections thereof, illustrating `particularly the operation of the guiding means`v which are operative when the sections are folded;

Fig. 3 is a section on the lines 3-3 in Fim showing the upper and lower tracks and the4 various guiding means for a partition section; v.

Fig. 4 is a sectional View similar to Fig. 3 but showing the guide mechanism of the other section of a pair of partition sections, and also illustrating an alternate type of guide rollers and track therefor;

Fig. 5 is a detail view of the guide rollers and track, shownin Fig. 1; and y Fig. 6 is a detail View of the guiding means operative during the turning movement of the section.

The partition illustrated comprises a plusemi. /eaila.

ralily of sections 11, 12, 13, 14, and 16.

Sections 11., 13 and 15 are respectively joined at one edge to the normally adjacent edge of sections l2, 14% aud 1G, by hinges 419 which may be of any well-known type. The opposite or ,normally remote edges of sections 11 through .16 are niovably mounted between a track or guideway in the floor and a guideway 22 attached to the upper.

part of thc .door casing onto the ceiling. The innermost section l1 is rotatably mounted in any well-known manner, While sections 12 through 1G are. rotatably and slidably mounted in the manner now to be described in connection with Fig. 2, which illustrates the mounting and guiding means for section 15, or any section, other than section 11,

which is the inward section of afhinged pair.

Section 15, as shown, rides upon rollers 2-1 which bear upon a bearing surface 25 and maybe guided at its base 1n any well-known manner, such as by a guide member 26 slidwhich is a plate 32on which are mounted .i

four rollers The guideway 22 carries a pair of lateral guide bars 35 and 36Afor the rods 31 and hasattachedto its lower surface a track or guideway 38 -for rollers 33. The

sides v39"of track 38 are bent inwardly at 110 to form supports for the side faces of rollers 33 to rest thereon. It will be seen that as the sections are turned the rollers will remain stationary in their tracks, and that as the sections are slid along track 20 the roll ers will bear against the flanges 40 on track 38 to guide the door in a substantially frictionless manner. y

It should be noted that the track 38 carries the weight only of rods 31 and their attachments,` the weight of the door being car'- ried by rollers 24. If track 20 is vertically uneven, the door will slide upwardly upon rod 31 without adversely affecting the operation of the rollers. The sides 39` of the track may be made sufficiently far apart and horizontally ,uneven the rollers 38 may be slid laterally and the plate 32 may be tipped without interfering with the operation of the rollers.

On a plate 42, whichv may carry bearing 30, on the top of sections 13 and 15', or any inward section of a hinged pair exceptthe 'innermost pair, are a stud 44 .projecting upwardly toward plate 32 and a segmentshaped lug 45. On the under side 0f the guide bar 36, on a plane with lug 45, iS set a plate 46 having an arcuate edge 47 whichcooperates with the arcuate edge ofl lug 45 to guide the section during its turning movement and to obstruct the out-ward movement of the section along track 2O during its rotation. Projecting partly over plate 42 is a plate 48, set in vguide bar 35, which acts as a stopfor stud 44 and provides positive means to prevent an outward movement of the section when in its folded position. -,These features act to effectively prevent a pair of hinged sections from being unfolded or slid along their track by\a person gripping the inward section thereof instead of gripping the outward section, whichis the proper mode of openingl such adoor. This is of importance, becausejit prevents the strains and stresses likely to be caused on the partition by tlie unfolding or closing of the sections in an incorrect manner. Arcuate-edged members 45 and 46, moreover, actrto guide the section 4during its rotation, so that it Willswing exactly in the correct manner.

F ig. 4 illustrates a -variation which may be made in the typeof the guides and their track rollers and illustrates this guide mechanism as applied to the outward member of a pair of sections such as a section 13. In this illustration the sides 39 of a track 38 are curved and the edges of rollers 33 are rounded so that the downward and the sideward thrusts of the rollers are carried by a continuous surface of the track.

The term folding partition as used herein is intended to signify any door, window,

`or the like, made up of aplurality of foldvertically slidable inthe top of said' section to guide the Same during its sliding moveynient and to-act as a pivot for the same-during its rotation, a projection from said section adjacent to said pivot; and fstationary means to cooperate with said projection to guide said section and to prevent a sliding movement thereof during its rotation.

2. In combination, a rotatable and slidable section of a folding partition, an upper partially track therefor, means to guide the section along said track and to form a pivot for the section during its rotation, a bearingmember .comprising a lug on said section adjacent to said pivot, a bearing member comprising a stationary plate, a convex edge on one of said bearing members, and a concave edge on the other of said bearing members adapted to cooperate with said convex edge during the rotation of said section to guide the saine.

3. In combination, a section of a folding l partition, and guiding means therefor comprising a segment-shaped lug on said section and a stationary plateA having an annular edge thereon positioned so as to cooperate `with said lug during the folding movement ofsaid section.

4'. In combination, a slidable and rotatable sectionof a folding partition, means in the top thereof comprising a plurality of `rollers mounted to rotate on substantially vertical axes to guide said section during its sliding movement, und means comprising" members having cooperating annular edges to guide said section during' its rotation.

5. In-combination, a slidable and rotatable section of a folding door, means to guide the section and to prevent it from sliding during its rotation, and vertically adjust-. i -able means to guide the section during slidably set in said sections for mounting said rollers.

7. In combination, a rotatable and slidable section of a folding partition, an upper track therefor, means for guiding Ythe section along said track, said means forming a pivot for said'section, a bearingmember comprising a lug on one side of saidpivot, a bearing member comprising a stationary plate, a convex edgeon one of said bearing members, a concave edge on the other of said bearingmenibers adapted to cooperate with said convex edge duringthe rotation of I said section to guide the same, a stud on thc other side of said pivot from said lug, and astationary plate serving as a stop for said stud and said section.

8.V I-n combination, a section of a folding partition, vertically slidable' guiding means vinthe top thereof, four rollers mounted to rotate in substantially horizontal planes on said means, and a track for said rollers.

9. AIn combination, asection of a folding partition, vertically slidable guiding means in t'lie top thereof, four symmetrically disposed rollers mounted to rotate in substani@ mounted to rotate on substantially axes on said means, a track for said rollers, l

a trackl for said rollers shaped like an inverted U and having bent-overedges';

plurality ofpairsi of hinged sections, guirling means slldabl innermost4 of` said sections, four rollers means on-the inward section of an outer pair t-o'guide said section duringthefolding of Vsaidpir, and positive means to prevent-said inward-section from being moved outward# 'ly whenr the sections are folded.

ll.' In combination with the inward' seiction of Van. outer pair 'of sections of a folding partitioma lower track, an upper track, four rollers `having substantially vertical vaires movable in said upper track-and mounted on a. plate, a, rod attached to said plate, a bearing for said rod inthe top of said section,v

fisaid rod being vertically slidable'in said 4 ing and foldingsectlons,anti-frictions. guidv`bearing and rotatable therein to form a pivot for said section, an arcuate edged lug on said section adjacent to said pivot, a stationary plate having an arcuate edge cooperating with said lug to guide said section dur- `ing the folding of said pair ofvsections, and positive means to prevent said pair from` in their folded position.

12.Inasectionalpartition includin slidbeing slid outwardly along said tracks when connected to all but the- Vertical ofthe sections, pivotal-means or the sec-` y ',ti'ons, and means forl preventing sliding 10. In a l'folding partition comprising a movement of the sections, during their pivotalmovement, said means including corresponding arcuate members adapted for interengage'ment duringpivotal movement of the sections. n

13. A folding partit-ion construction com.-v prisin a frame, doors mounted for sliding and ori pivotal movement in, the frame,

means for controlling and guiding the doors vcomprising 'spindles ,rotatably mounted in i the doors, -fo'ur rollers mounted on the upper 'end of:ea ch spindle to rotate on axes substantially parallel with the axis ofthe spindle, and aguidevvayA in said vframe lwith the sides of. which said, rollers engage.

14. A folding partition constructionncomprising a' frame, doors `mounted for sliding and for pivotal movement,l in the frame, means for controlling and: guiding thedoors comprising spindles rotatably mounted in the. doors, four-rollers mounted on-the upper end of. each spindle to rotate on "axes Substantially' parallel with 'theu axis s ,Ofwthe and oppo; .v n sltely facmg channels in-said guideway'ln- 'l spindle, a guideway in the frame,

which ,the opposite pairs of rollers en age Signed at New York, NewfYork, thls 24th day of April, 1924.

.JOHN THos ral'iziniasn l, 1;, 

